Into the Inferno
by Alice-pyon
Summary: Professor Callaghan, in an act of guilt, saves Tadashi's life during the fire and takes him back to his warehouse. While helping the older Hamada recover, Callaghan realizes that Tadashi is a threat to his plans for revenge and blackmails him in exchange for Hiro's safety. Alive!Tadashi! Full summary inside.
1. Engulfed by Flames

Hi everyone! This is the beginning of a multi-chapter Alive!Tadashi fic because I'm trash and I still haven't gotten over his death, so by writing this it helps me keep my denial going!

Hope you guys like it~

**Full summary:** Tadashi Hamada always reminded Professor Callaghan of his own daughter: bright, vivid, and inspirational. In an act of guilt and pity, Callaghan saves Tadashi's life in the fire and takes him back to his warehouse, where he helps the older Hamada recover while at the same time begins developing an army of microbots. When Hiro, a brother in mourning, discovers the secret warehouse by accident, Callaghan realizes that he cannot simply let Tadashi return home and expose his elaborate plan for revenge. Callaghan blackmails Tadashi by threatening Hiro's safety, and thus he is pulled into the professor's twisted scheme and is pitted against his brother and friends.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Engulfed by Flames<strong>

"_Tadashi! NO!_"

It was the last thing he heard his little brother say to him before running into the blaze. _No_. An anguished, pleading scream. _No. No. NO._

Guilt plagued Tadashi's mind as he dove into the burning building. Should he be doing this? What about Hiro? What about Aunt Cass? What will they think of him when he makes it out with Callaghan? _If _he makes it out with Callaghan?

_Keep going_, Tadashi willed himself, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve as he side-stepped burning debris and searched for any sign of his missing professor. _Mom and dad would be proud of you._

Hiro hadn't gotten a chance to really _know_ their parents, but Tadashi had. And he knew that his parents raised him to _help_ people, not sit idly by and let an innocent soul perish.

This was worth the risk. He was sure of it.

He just wished Hiro had felt the same.

Tadashi wiped at his eyes which were watering from the dense smoke. He could feel his lungs burning for oxygen, but he kept pushing forward regardless.

_Crack._

Eyes widening in shock, Tadashi flung himself to the side just as a flaming beam fell and nearly crashed on top of him. He hit his head on the impact of the landing and hissed in pain.

The red inferno tilted and twisted around Tadashi, and he stumbled to his feet despite his dizzying vision.

"Professor Callaghan!" Tadashi yelled, coughing violently and trudging forward. He was met with the groans of the buckling building. "It's… it's-" He coughed and sucked in a desperate breath. "It's Tadashi! I'll get you out of here, I'll-"

Another creak. Another groan. Suddenly, Tadashi was knocked off his feet as another beam fell from the ceiling and grazed his side.

Tadashi's hip erupted with blinding, red hot pain.

He couldn't move. He couldn't think. All he could do was lay there, drowning in the smoke and the heat of the inferno that blazed around him.

"I'm sorry, Hiro," Tadashi whispered, paralyzed. He knew it was all over. With the left side of his body burned and his mind quickly losing consciousness, Tadashi was sure that he would not make it out to see his little brother again.

"_Tadashi! NO!"_

"I'm so sorry Hiro … I'm –"

The building exploded.

* * *

><p>The boy had always reminded him of his little Abigail.<p>

Ever since his first day of class – when Hamada had walked in sporting that signature San Fransokyo Giants cap – Callaghan knew the kid was destined for greatness. He had a big brain and an even bigger heart.

Just like Abigail.

And now Callaghan stood, staring down at Tadashi, as the fire blazed all around them. The boy was withering slightly on the ground, no doubt losing consciousness. His jacket was frayed, blood was matted into his dark hair, and his side was badly burned.

"I'm sorry, Hiro," Callaghan heard Tadashi sob to himself.

Guilt clenched at Callaghan's stomach as he glanced down at the neural-cranial transmitter in his hand. The younger Hamada, Hiro, had put hours of work into this final project. No doubt he would assume it was destroyed in the fire after everything was over.

Hiro would get over the loss of his microbots, Callaghan was sure.

But would he get over the loss of his brother?

It was unlikely.

_Just like Abigail. _

The building groaned and Callaghan knew it was about to implode any second. Determined, the professor placed the transmitter on his head. The microbots stored in the various recycling bins around the building instantly came alive, bending to his will.

Another groan. Callaghan quickly positioned himself in front of Tadashi and the microbots followed, forming a protective casing around the pair.

"I'm sorry, Hiro," Tadashi muttered again, nearly incoherent. "I'm –"

The building exploded, rattling the microbots and knocking Callaghan back to the floor. The tiny robots stayed intact, however. The older Hamada was unconscious, but alive. That's what counted.

"Let's get you out of here," Callaghan sighed, bending down and picking up Tadashi over his shoulder. Slowly but surely Callaghan trudged forward, the microbots moving along with him, as he made his way into the direction of the back door.


	2. A Brother in Mourning

WOW! Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed!I was blown away by the huge positive response this got for the first chapter. I am very excited to keep writing and developing this story; I hope you all can stick with me and continue reading! :)

Enjoy, and thanks again for the wonderful feedback~

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: A Brother in Mourning<strong>

Hiro refused to speak at his brother's funeral.

They all sat in wooden chairs inside the café, facing a raised casket and a flower wreath with Tadashi's picture centered in the middle. He was beaming – happy as could be – a testament to a life well lived.

A life not nearly long enough.

Hiro, more than anything, wanted to escape upstairs to his room. He knew he couldn't, however; they still had to load the casket into the hearse and drive to the cemetery, where his brother would be laid to rest.

_This is stupid_, Hiro fumed, eyeing the casket intently. _Why have a burial if there's nothing to even bury?_

Tadashi's body had never been recovered from the fire. The police, who had investigated the scene after the fire was put out, explained what they believed had transpired to Aunt Cass late that night.

"There… was an explosion when your nephew was inside," the officer had said, rubbing her neck and looking away from Cass. "Ms. Hamada… we don't think… there's anything left of him for us to find. I'm so sorry…"

That's when Hiro had fallen to the ground, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the asphalt before sobbing and screaming and _cursing out the world _and –

Aunt Cass, seated next to Hiro, noticed the panicked look in his eyes and rested a hand on his shoulder. He snapped back to reality and shrunk in on himself, glaring again at the empty casket.

"Are you sure you don't want to –"

"_No_," Hiro snapped. Aunt Cass winced, and he instantly felt guilty at the harshness of his own voice. "I'm sorry Aunt Cass, but I… don't think I could say anything without…"

"I understand," Cass sighed, grabbing hold of his hand and squeezing. Whether this was to comfort Hiro or anchor her own emotions down, her wasn't sure.

Once the funeral started each of Tadashi's friends went up, one by one, and reminisced on the fond memories they had experienced with the young man.

"He appreciated the nicknames," Fred remembered, his voice uncharacteristically low.

"Tadashi was always so happy, no matter what," Honey cried, wiping at her eyes.

"I just… never felt judged… he was genuine," Wasabi said, his shoulders stiff and his eyes downcast.

"He had a big heart. Bigger than all of ours put together," Gogo muttered, shuffling uncomfortably in front of the crowd.

Aunt Cass went up on Hiro's behalf. She ran a hand lightly along the polished casket, her eyes dull.

Cass talked about Tadashi's early upbringing under her care, and how he became a father-figure to his younger brother. She shared family stories and stated how important Tadashi's love for everyone around him was.

Hiro felt like he was going to throw up again. His brain wrestled with fact, trying to accept what was reality in his life now.

_I'm at a funeral, _he thought to himself._ It's my brother's funeral. There was a fire. Tadashi never came out. Tadashi's dead. He's gone. You're never going to see him again, you're never going to –_

A hand shook his shoulder again, this time Honey's.

"Hiro, it's time to go," she said lightly, helping the younger boy stand from his seat.

He shuffled behind his friends, eyeing the floor and making sure he didn't trip over his own two feet. Dazed, he glanced back at Fred, Wasabi, and a few more of Tadashi's university friends as they lifted the casket and made their way toward the hearse parked outside.

When they exited the café a light drizzle started to fall from the sky, and it quickly turned into a downpour when he and Aunt Cass ran to the car that was in line behind the hearse.

"Well, this is appropriate," Hiro muttered to himself, leaning against the window as his aunt started the car.

"What was that, sweetie?" Cass asked gently, glancing at him.

"Rain," he stated simply.

The rest of the funeral was a hazy blur. The only thing Hiro could really recall was the rainwater hitting his cheeks and mixing with salty tears as Tadashi's empty casket was lowered into the ground.

* * *

><p>Callaghan was a robotics expert, <em>not <em>a doctor.

But here he stood; staring down at Tadashi's burned and battered body as the young man lay sprawled out on his make-shift bed of blankets and a ratty mattress he had pulled from a dumpster nearby.

"This… this was a stupid idea," Callaghan sighed to himself, pulling at his graying hair. He paced back and forth, the nerves from the previous night catching up to him. Why did he even decide to save the boy? He should've known that it would only cause trouble. What had he been _thinking_?

"Hiro…"

Callaghan stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening as he glanced back at Tadashi.

He was moving around in his sleep, his expression pained. It must've been a nightmare… about the younger Hamada; Hiro.

_Oh_, Callaghan thought solemnly. _Now I remember…_

The kid had a big heart; a heart _too_ big for his own good.

He reminded him sickeningly of Abigail to the point that it almost hurt.

Sighing once again, Callaghan took a seat next to Tadashi and ran a hand slightly over his head wound. He'd done his best to clean the dried blood out of his hair, but now he was seriously at a loss. He didn't know how to stitch up wounds. Sure, he could research medical procedures all he wanted, but in the end he knew he didn't have the hands for it. He was simply _not_ a doctor.

The only other option was to bring the boy to a hospital and risk exposing himself…

_After going through such pains to fake my own death…? No. Absolutely not. _

But could he just leave Tadashi to slowly die of his injuries? Without proper care, he was surely doomed.

Callaghan stood and walked over to the nearby table. They were currently situated in a back room that was acting as his makeshift headquarters within the abandoned warehouse. With a little rewiring Callaghan had restored operating power to the small room. His laptop sat on the table, next to the neural transmitter he had taken from the science fair.

Callaghan picked up the transmitter and ran his fingers along the material. The lengths he had taken to get this… But it was worth it. With Hiro's microbots, he could do anything.

_Anything…_

His eyes widened and he whipped around to stare at Tadashi's battered form.

Maybe he _didn't_ need his hands to fix the boy up. Maybe all that was required was a little _brain power._

Determined, Callaghan opened a web browser on his computer and searched for videos on how to properly stitch wounds and heal burns. Once he found the desired material, Callaghan placed the transmitter on his head.

The microbots slithered into the room, responding to his call.

It was time to get to work.


	3. An Abandoned Warehouse

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the wonderful response to this fic! It's such a tremendous help to me when you guys give feedback!

In case of confusion, I'd like to clarify that this chapter takes place roughly two weeks after the fire. Hiro, like in the movie, is refusing to go to the University and has just accidentally activated Baymax. Tadashi has been healing under the care of Prof. Callaghan for those two weeks, but is largely unaware of what is going on.

I hope you all like the chapter! Reviews, favs, and follows are much appreciated!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: An Abandoned Warehouse<strong>

Hiro, as he weaved his way through the bustling crowds of San Fransokyo's rush hour traffic, found himself questioning all of his life choices up until that very moment.

_What did I ever do to deserve this?_ He thought frantically, skidding around a corner and nearly colliding with a pedestrian. _Why do _I_ have to be the one who chases after a giant balloon robot?_

Cursing his rotten luck, Hiro caught sight of said robot turning into a back alley across the street.

"Baymax!" He yelled, sprinting across the road and narrowly avoiding a man on a moped. Hiro chased after the robot down through the alley until he came to a larger, run down clearing. Baymax was standing in front of a huge wooden door to an abandoned warehouse.

"Are… you… _crazy_?" Hiro panted, stopping in front of Baymax and resting his hands on his knees.

"Your heartbeat seems to have risen significantly," the healthcare robot observed, scanning the young man.

"No duh!" Hiro spluttered. "That's what happens when I have to _chase_ after you across town. Baymax, what were you _thinking_?"

"You informed me that finding where this tiny robot wanted to go would help raise your neurotransmitter levels."

Hiro groaned. "That was _sarcasm_."

Baymax tilted his head slightly. "'Sarcasm' does not appear to be in my programmed medical database."

"It's not a – oh, whatever," Hiro sighed, grabbing a hold of Baymax's arm. "Let's go back, come on."

"But Hiro –"

"No but's!" Hiro stated, trying to pull the robot along with him.

"But Hiro," he tried again, "it appears that your tiny robot wishes to enter the building."

The younger Hamada blinked and looked at the round, plastic case in Baymax's hands. The microbot was withering and banging against the container in the direction of the wooden door.

"That's… not possible," Hiro muttered, taking the microbot from Baymax's hands and turning the case this way and that. The microbot kept struggling toward the direction of the warehouse. "I don't understand… they were all destroyed in the fire."

"Perhaps not," Baymax pointed out.

Curiosity beat the young teenager out as he approached the door and jiggled the lock. "We can't get in this way," he muttered to himself, frustration laced in his tone.

"Hiro, there is a window," Baymax said, pointing up to the second floor.

The only way to reach it was by climbing on top of Baymax's head. After much difficulty both he and Baymax – after having to let out a significant amount of air – crept further into the warehouse to investigate.

"Let's keep this quick and simple," Hiro whispered, tiptoeing behind old crates.

"Quick and simple," the robot nurse agreed.

Cautiously, the pair turned a corner and entered the warehouse's more spacious clearing. They approached a large curtain, where Hiro could see shadows of moving figures and the whirring of machines.

"What the…?" Hiro pulled the curtain aside and stopped dead in his tracks.

The machine before him, mirroring an assembly line, was dumping out small objects onto a conveyor belt and into a large trash bin.

They were microbots.

_His microbots._

"They… but…" Hiro gasped, approaching the bin and running his hands through the pile. "Someone's… making more?"

"Hiro," Baymax said, raising a pudgy arm and pointing to beyond the curtain. A beam of light coming from his head illuminated the area so that the young Hamada could see.

There were dozens upon dozens of more trash bins.

All filled with microbots.

"Woah," Hiro breathed. "Baymax, we need to get out of here and go tell somebody about this," he said frantically. "If there are microbots here, then there's probably someone with a neural cranial transmitter! We aren't safe, let's go –"

Hiro gasped as something tugged against his legs, causing him to fall to the floor painfully. Baymax was also restrained and struggling against the microbots, which were now slithering away from the bins and attacking the pair.

"Someone's controlling them!" Hiro yelled frantically, trying to reach out to Baymax. "We have to -"

With tremendous force the microbots lurched and flung the younger Hamada against a pile of crates. Pain erupted behind his eyes, and he could here Baymax calling his name before everything went black.

* * *

><p>Tadashi felt better.<p>

Well, if you could consider a splitting headache and a sensitive, inflamed but healing hip as _better_.

Still, he could finally sit up without feeling like he was going to die. That was most _definitely _an improvement.

Tadashi was struggling to now stand – which was a lot harder than sitting up – when the door to the room unlocked and swung open.

"Tadashi, you're up!" Professor Callaghan greeted, closing the door and pulling down his hood as he set a bag of groceries onto the table.

"Uh, yeah… barely," he agreed warily, eyeing his professor. "Nobody recognized you, right?"

Callaghan shook his head. "No, everything went well."

"That's good, I guess," Tadashi muttered.

Callaghan sighed and pulled a chair away from his desk to sit in front of the older Hamada.

"What's wrong?"

Tadashi looked down at his scarred hands. "Professor… you know what's wrong. I want to go home, back to my family," he said pleadingly. "Aunt Cass is probably hysterical, and Hiro –" He choked, his throat tightening.

"_Tadashi! No!"_

Tadashi felt dizzy and put a hand to his head, his little brother's anguished screams echoing in his mind.

"I know," Callaghan sighed, sympathy laced in his tone. "Give it a few more days, Tadashi. The city still hasn't calmed down from the fire – if you suddenly come back from the dead the media will –"

"I don't care what other people will think," Tadashi snarled. "All I care about is seeing Hiro and Aunt Cass."

Silence enveloped the pair. Tadashi glanced at his professor's face. He looked slightly irritated.

"At least… rest up a bit more," Callaghan said. "At least until you can walk normally again. Do you want your family to see you in such a condition as you are now?"

"But it's better if they think I'm alive than –"

"_No_," Callaghan snapped, and Tadashi flinched. "You are staying here until you are well enough to leave. I will _not_ send you back to them like _this_."

Tadashi wanted to fight Callaghan on this one, but it was probably not a good idea upsetting his mentor further.

Callaghan had _changed_ since the fire.

"After I'm back with Hiro and my aunt, will you… move away like you told me before?" Tadashi asked, reflecting on a conversation they had had a few days prior.

Callaghan nodded. "That's right," he said. "After we escaped that fire alive I did a lot of thinking and I… I hate it here." He gazed down intently at his shoes, his shoulders sagging. "I've grown tired of robotics – it's been this way for awhile now. But you know me, Tadashi. I can't simply _leave_ with the kind of reputation I have. If people think I'm gone for good, then I –"

"You can get a new identity," Tadashi finished. "What will you do for a living?"

"I thought… I'd be a doctor," Callaghan smiled.

"I have no doubt that you will succeed at that," Tadashi laughed. He paused and examined the healing burns up and down his arms. "Thank you," he said sincerely to his mentor, looking up and locking eyes with the older man. "I really thought I was going to die in there, but you got me out. You risked _your_ life to save mine, professor. I can never repay you."

"I am not one to let my students die on my behalf, Mr. Hamada," Callaghan said firmly.

"It's amazing what you did," Tadashi continued. "Before I lost consciousness I could have sworn there was an explosion. How did you…?"

"There was no explosion," Callaghan stated quickly. Tadashi's brows furrowed. "I think you were just imagining it. You were almost dead; I don't blame you for thinking –"

"No, I'm pretty sure there was an explosion," Tadashi assured him.

"I got us out. That's all that matters," Callaghan muttered, standing up abruptly and moving the chair back to the desk. "I want you to rest while I go take care of a few things."

"You're… leaving again?" Tadashi asked. "You were just gone for two hours, what else do you have to –"

"_Do not question me, Tadashi_," Callaghan snapped, cutting the older Hamada off. "You will stay here and get some sleep. This is final."

Tadashi pursed his lips. _There it is again_, he thought. _That anger…_

"Sure," Tadashi sighed, nodding and laying back down against his pillow.

"I'll be back in a little while," Callaghan stated, opening the door and disappearing from the room in a hurry. Tadashi could hear him locking the door shut – effectively trying to keep him inside.

Tadashi, once Callaghan's footsteps were gone, rolled out of bed and hesitated before standing up. His side burned and he felt dizzy with the movement, but after a while he was able to take small steps across the room without feeling like he would vomit.

_He's hiding something… something he doesn't want me to see_.

Determined, Tadashi made his way to the door and jiggled the knob. It was a basic lock – the same one he and Hiro had on the door to their room back home.

Tadashi, with a roll of his eyes, set to work on disabling it.

_Did he forget that I'm an engineer?_ Tadashi thought as the lock clicked.

The door swung open and the older Hamada took a deep breath before stepping outside of the room.


	4. Actions and Threats

Oops, sorry it's taken me a long time to update... I got into college and I was really excited and I sort of neglected this story.

But I'm back, and I saw Big Hero 6 in theaters again yesterday, and now my emotional investment into this movie has returned ten-fold! Unfortunately, this chapter is kind of short... but I hope you guys all enjoy it nonetheless.

Reviews, favorites, and follows are much appreciated!

Happy Holidays!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Actions and Threats<strong>

Hiro had the _worst_ headache – almost like someone had cracked his head against a wall or something.

_Oh, wait…_ Hiro thought groggily, fighting to open his eyes. _That… that is what happened… _

Hiro startled back into reality as his eyes flew open in panic.

"Baymax!" He yelled out instantly.

"Hiro," came the robotic response. Baymax was seated – or rather bound – against the young Hamada. Frantic, Hiro tried to flex his arms against the tight layer of microbots that anchored them in place.

They were still in the warehouse. Hiro could see the microbot assembly line across the building, whirring away as it created more and more of Hiro's creations.

"Baymax," Hiro said softly, trying to crane his neck and look at him. "Are you okay?"

The robot tilted his head. "My scanners appear to be damaged," he stated.

Hiro cursed. "I'll fix them as soon as we… _if_ we get out of this," he gulped. The chances of walking away freely seemed slim to Hiro at best. Whoever was controlling his microbots had used them for violence – not exactly what he had originally intended them for.

"Do you… uh… think you're strong enough to break through these bindings?" Hiro asked the robot next to him hopefully.

Baymax wiggled his balloon arms slightly. "That is a negative."

Hiro groaned. "Can't you _karate chop_ our way out of here or something?"

"'Karate chop' does not appear to be in my programmed medical –"

"Yeah yeah, I get it," Hiro huffed, slumping back against Baymax's soft body in defeat. "We're _never_ getting out of here…"

"Hiro."

The robot nudged the boy slightly, and Hiro perked up and straightened his body.

A… figure was walking toward them from across the building. He was wearing a strange mask and a long trench coat. No part of his body or skin was visible – he was clad all in black.

He looked… mysterious.

And ruthless…

Hiro was _terrified_.

* * *

><p>Tadashi hadn't been outside of that room in two weeks, so the first thing he really wanted was a bit of fresh air. Maybe a glimpse of the sky? The sun?<p>

Unfortunately, he wasn't greeted by these things when he opened the door and stepped out.

Instead of being outside, he was in another larger room with concrete walls and the same dusty smell.

As Tadashi closed the door behind him and stumbled – he was still dizzy from getting up earlier – further into the room he realized that it was actually a warehouse or a factory of some sorts. The windows overhead were boarded up – it must have been abandoned for some time.

Technically, it made sense to Tadashi that the Professor would pick such an isolated place. He _was _trying to erase his identity and move half across the globe, after all.

Still… Tadashi had a bad feeling. Why had Callaghan been so adamant about Tadashi staying locked inside that room?

_There's something out here that he doesn't want me to see…_

Determined, Tadashi crept further into the warehouse. The building, although just one large square room, was like a maze. Stacks of dusty crates were scattered around at the most random of places, effectively blocking Tadashi's vision of most of the room.

After a bit of maneuvering, Tadashi – who was nearly out of breath from all of the walking – reached a large clearing. He leaned against the last stack of crates to catch his breath – his eyes closed and his head lowered in exhaustion.

_Almost dying in a fire really messes a person up_, he thought to himself warily.

"Those are _my_ microbots!"

Tadashi's eyes snapped open. His heart skipped a beat.

_Hiro_.

That was Hiro's voice.

In his shock Tadashi tried lifting himself up from against the crate, causing the large box to shutter and scrape against the concrete floor.

Once upright, Tadashi moved to run, his little brother's name bubbling on his lips.

But this mouth was suddenly forced shut; his legs and arms restricted.

Startled, Tadashi fought against the slithering black robots that crawled around his body and locked him in place.

_Microbots. _These were his _brother's_ microbots.

Hiro was here. Was he controlling them? No – he'd never do this. Then who…?

_Heat. Sudden, blistering heat that should have killed him, but it didn't. It was blocked. Blocked by a wall. A black wall… composed of moving parts. _

_Microbots._

_Callaghan…_

Tadashi struggled against his bonds, his mind running on red alert.

He should have died, but he didn't. He didn't… because Callaghan had Hiro's transmitter and stopped the blast from killing them both.

And he_ still_ had the transmitter. And the microbots. And Hiro…

Hiro was here.

Why was he here?!

Suddenly Tadashi heard a loud cry and a _thud_ that knocked him out of his thoughts.

"Hiro!" A robotic voice cried, and Tadashi's eyes widened further.

_Baymax._

Tadashi tried to scream out, but his mouth was painfully blocked by the microbots. He couldn't move his legs and arms; they were both anchored in place.

"It's a shame that your scanners are damaged, isn't it?" A voice sneered, and Tadashi's eyes narrowed. It was Callaghan.

"You'll never know who I am," Callaghan gloated.

"Hiro," Baymax said again, concern evident in the robot's voice.

"He's only knocked out. He'll be fine," Callaghan informed him. "But if he tries to meddle again… let's just say that next time he won't be so lucky."

Tadashi thrashed about, seeing red. How _dare_ he – that was his_ brother_ he was talking about!

"Now… if you'll excuse me," Callaghan said, his voice echoing closer. "I have some business to address to."

"Wait!" Baymax called, but he was obviously ignored as the footsteps grew louder toward Tadashi's location.

A figure rounded the corner. He was clad in black and wore a white and red mask in front of his face.

Tadashi didn't have to guess who he was.

"Let's have a little chat, Tadashi," Callaghan said, stepping closer to the older Hamada. The microbots seemed to tighten around him and he groaned; his skin was still badly burned and the friction was not helping.

Callaghan, with surprising strength, hauled Tadashi up by the collar and led him back toward the small room that Tadashi had been so desperate to leave before.

Once inside, the older man threw him to the ground. His arms were still bound, but during the walk back the microbots had removed themselves from his legs and mouth.

Tadashi stumbled to his feet. "_What did you do to my brother?_!" He yelled, charging at the man despite his limited strength.

He suddenly lurched. The microbots anchored his feet in place, successfully halting the young man's advancement. "I swear, if you lay another hand on him _I will _–"

"You'll do what? Kill me?" Callaghan laughed, stepping around Tadashi. He lifted his mask. "Would you really threaten your Professor? Your mentor? The man who saved your _life_?"

"Why do you have Hiro's microbots?" Tadashi growled, glaring at the man. "I thought you wanted to _leave._ You have no reason – no right – to be using them."

"Oh Tadashi…" Callaghan sighed, disappointment laced within his voice. "Frankly, I'm surprised you believed me for so long. I really thought you were _bright."_

"… What?"

Callaghan stepped up to the older Hamada and directly faced him – his light blue eyes boring into his. "I lied," he said simply. "I'm not going to leave San Fransokyo; on the contrary, I have big plans for this city and a certain _inhabitant _of it."

Tadashi struggled to work his tired mind around what he was being told.

"So… you're using Hiro's microbots… for what? … to harm somebody else?"

Callaghan smirked. "_Now _you're starting to act like the Tadashi Hamada I know."

Relization dawned on the young man. "That fire…"

Callaghan frowned.

"… You started it?"

"… That is correct."

"You started it so you could cover your tracks… and steal my brother's invention…" Tadashi's eyes hardened and he strained against the microbots that kept him anchored in place. "_I went in there to save you!"_

"I didn't ask you to," Callaghan hissed, his anger boiling over as he stepped away from the older Hamada. "You were stupid enough to go in there after me. You're lucky I saved your life; I didn't have to, you know. I could have left you for dead."

"_Why_?" Tadashi asked. "Why would you do all of this?"

Tadashi noticed Callaghan's eyes shift as he looked away, turning his back on the young man. "Revenge," he stated simply.

"Against who?"

"It doesn't concern you," Callaghan snapped, rounding on him furiously.

"Well, it doesn't matter what your reasons are – I'll tell everyone," Tadashi pledged, glaring at the professor. "You're not going to get away with any of this!"

"Oh, Tadashi…" Callaghan sighed, shaking his head sadly. "I was really hoping that you wouldn't try to play that card. You simply can't win."

Tadashi glared as the older man moved closer.

"You won't tell anyone about this."

"_And why not_?" Tadashi spat.

Callaghan clicked his tongue and sighed again. "Because I have something valuable to you; something that I can very easily _break_ if you do not behave."

_Break?_ Tadashi's mind instantly flashed to the white robot in the other room.

"I can always rebuild Baymax if I have to," Tadashi said.

"I'm not talking about your _robot, _Mr. Hamada."

* * *

><p>Just to clarify: Hiro's been knocked out again.<p>

It's becoming a bad habit, my apologizes.


	5. Deadly Serious

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long period between updates! Writer's block can be quite lethal...

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I will try to update more regularly from now on. (Though with school and such, I can't really make any promises that I will always have consistent updates!) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed, though! Your support and interest means the world to me!

Thanks!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Deadly Serious<strong>

"Here you are, Mr. Hamada."

The young man sat on the bed, his frame hunched and his glare set dead ahead at the bare wall opposite him.

"_Tadashi_."

He looked up slowly into the older man's gaze.

Callaghan looked worn out and frustrated. There was a glint in his eye that was unnerving. This was not the man who so passionately taught his students about the fundamentals of robotics only a few weeks ago. He was changed, and Tadashi wasn't sure how this transformation had come upon him so drastically.

Tadashi glanced down at what Callaghan was offering him; a mask. It was similar to the one his professor donned atop his head, except it was a deep purple and was shaped differently.

"This mask is almost identical to my own," Callaghan informed him, pushing it into his hands. "Mine, however, is more powerful, if you will. It can override the neural waves that are exhibited from your mask, thus causing it to cease functioning in case you try anything… _funny_."

Tadashi did not answer. He gripped the mask harder.

"You will go out there, wearing this, and instruct your brother to stop meddling in my project if he knows what's good for him," Callaghan said, kneeling down onto Tadashi's level. "I can't have him or that robot of yours see me again, so it's up to you…You will not, under any circumstances, tell him who you are."

"He'll know my voice."

Callaghan chuckled. "Give me some credit, Tadashi! I'm smarter than that and you know it." He motioned for him to turn the mask around. The young man flipped it over and Callaghan pointed to a small device built into the mask near the mouth's opening. "This will alter your voice. He won't know it's you."

Tadashi clenched his teeth, his brain working rapidly. Was there anything he could do? Anything at all?! This wasn't right – he _couldn't_ help Callaghan, it went against everything he _was_… That was his brother out there. _His brother_, tied up… probably terrified. There was no way he would go through with this!

"You're angry," Callaghan observed, standing up.

"Well spotted," Tadashi spat.

"Remember, Mr. Hamada… if you do not cooperate, I will not hesitate to kill your brother."

Tadashi flinched, resisting the urge to tackle the man to the ground. The world shifted, and his vision turned red. _How dare he…_

"I'm letting him go today because I am a generous guy," he continued. "He meddled into _my_ personal affairs. Consider yourself lucky that I am letting him off so easily."

"_Your_ personal affairs?" Tadashi echoed in disbelief. "How is anything about this entire situation personal?! Those are Hiro's microbots out there… it's _his_ older brother that he thinks is _dead_!"

Callaghan pursed his lips and stared at Tadashi is silence for a few moments. The heavy silence weighed down on the pair. Tadashi's fists were balled tight, and he willed himself not to snap. _Think of Hiro_, Tadashi thought desperately. _He's out there… keep your cool._

"It's time for you to do your job," Callaghan finally muttered, shaking his head slightly. Something in his expression was almost solemn… but then his eyes flashed and it was gone, replaced with something more demented… more driven.

Tadashi balled his fists tighter before standing up. His side still burned and his vision still dizzied when he walked, but he wasn't in constant agony like he had been only days ago, thanks to Callaghan's treatments.

Tadashi shuddered at the thought.

"Go on," the older man urged, gesturing to the device in the young man's hands.

Tadashi stared down at the mask before bringing it to his face and locking it into place. Callaghan moved behind the young man and helped him into a long, dark trench coat.

He stepped back. "Unrecognizable," he grinned.

Tadashi felt sick as Callaghan swung the door open and motioned for Tadashi to exit the room.

He stopped him on his way out. "Remember," he hissed, "I will be watching. If you try anything funny… well… just _don't_, for your safety and your brother's."

"… Yes, _sir_."

* * *

><p>Hiro was awake again, and he was <em>scared<em>. His head throbbed, his arms hurt, and his vision blurred as he tried to blink back into complete consciousness.

Baymax was still seated beside Hiro, but something was wrong with him. His robotic eyes blinked slowly, and he muttered to himself in slurred, jumbled words.

"Baymax?" Hiro whispered timidly, his voice cracking.

Baymax continued to ramble incoherently before pausing in a moment of pregnant silence. "Loooooow battery," he slurred.

His battery was low? He was… going to shut off soon? The mere thought sent the younger Hamada into a panic.

"No!" Hiro cried, his eyes widening. "Baymax, stay with me!"

An image of Tadashi – a backdrop of fire framing his face – flashed in Hiro's mind.

_Don't leave me alone here, please…_

Hiro struggled desperately against the ropes that constricted his chest. Everything felt tight, tight, _tight_ – he needed to get out, _now, _before that guy in the mask came back…

What did that guy even want?! Why did he need Hiro's microbots? Why did he have him tied up here? Was it because of what he saw? Was this guy ever going to let him go?!

Baymax had gone completely silent beside Hiro, and a striking feeling of loneliness fell upon the boy.

"Why does everyone leave me?" Hiro muttered to himself, his head falling back against the robot's soft arm.

"Hiro…"

Hiro's eyes snapped open, and he glanced up - a sudden terror seizing his heart. The voice was low and grainy, and hearing his own name come from such a foreign sound filled Hiro with a sense of dread.

A man stepped out into clear view. His dark trench coat and deep purple mask were glaring. He was… _different_ than the last guy who had visited. There were two people involved in this?!

Yet… looking at this man – although terrifying – struck Hiro with a sudden sense of… longing? Something familiar sparked in the back of his mind.

_What am I even thinking?_ Hiro thought, dismissing the notion with a quick shake of his head. He focused his attention back onto the man, who was walking up to him. Hiro tried to push back – to get away – but he was still anchored down next to the now dormant Baymax.

The man stopped and looked down at him. What he was feeling, Hiro couldn't tell. The mask obscured everything about this guy.

"Hiro Hamada," the man said stiffly.

"… How do you know my name?" Hiro asked hesitantly, his heart beating sporadically. _I need to get out of here!_

"That's not important," the man snapped, and Hiro flinched. "My… partner and I have a simple request to ask of you."

He waited for a reply, but Hiro did not give him one, so the man continued. "We are willing to let you go. You can keep living your life anyway you wish, but do not mention what you have seen here today to anyone. Forget about it completely."

Hiro, despite how scared he was, found his voice. "You guys… you stole my invention. How could I ever forget about that?"

"You don't have to forget, then. Just keep it to yourself, Mr. Hamada."

Hiro's eyes widened. "But –"

"I don't think you understand," the man said quickly, and Hiro squinted at the sense of urgency in his voice. "Don't you want to leave this place? Don't you want to leave and restore that robot of yours to operating power?"

"Yes, but I –"

"You will not be leaving this warehouse unless you give us your word, Mr. Hamada." He paused, and the silence was deafening before he continued. "You don't seem to understand the importance of our operation here."

"No…" Hiro muttered, his voice breaking. "I don't."

"If you can't promise us your silence here, in this room… then… we can't guarantee your safety."

Hiro blinked, putting together what he thought the man was implying.

"… What, you'll kill me?"

Hiro stared up at the man, whose stiff mask hid any indication of who this guy was… of what he wanted. How old was he? Why was he doing this? Why was this man threatening the life of a teenager, just for a bunch of microbots?

... Was he serious about this dangerous claim he was making…?

"… That's the gist of it, yes."

_Guess so._


End file.
